Roar of Thunder
by DaLizzie
Summary: An ancient tradition has gone awry and a predestined bond struggles through a world that is blinded by differences. Can an intimate partnership survive prejudice, hate and war? AU
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Oh, if only folks knew what strange ideas lurk amongst my writing folders. I'd been processing this one for some time and I think it's worth pursuing. In case you didn't know, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and since I'm sure there are some fantasy freaks that are going to point out the similarities, YES, this is quite a bit like the Dragonriders of Pern. I don't own that, either, and no specific characters or names from that story will be involved.

Roar of Thunder

Chapter 1

Yugi smiled as he read his friend's spidery handwriting; it had been good to finally hear from Jounouchi. It seemed that he and Hiroto were being kept quite busy, but of course, training for the Defense Guard wasn't supposed to be easy. According to him the food left much to be desired, but otherwise he didn't have much to complain about. Jounouchi had wanted to join the Guard since he was very young. Yugi knew, as he had listened to Jounouchi's many speeches about how he was going to be the greatest guard that had ever lived.

Yugi's smile faded a bit. He rather missed the days of Jounouchi and Hiroto knocking at his window early in the morning and whisking him off to play at being the greatest guards of all time. By the end of the day it had usually dissolved into an argument over which of them was better at what, but that was all forgotten by dinnertime.

The week before Yugi had also gotten a letter from Anzu. She had told Yugi, in much neater handwriting, all about the fantastic people she was meeting and the important things she was learning at the Naoru Academy of Healers. Yugi remembered that she had also come along to play with them when they were young. She had always insisted on being one of the brave guards along with Jounouchi and Hiroto, which had unfortunately left Yugi with the "damsel in distress" role the majority of the time. It was only later that Anzu had decided she wanted to be a healer, and now she was fulfilling her dream.

Of course Yugi was happy for her. He was happy for all of them. It was just that… well, without any of them around, Yugi was left with no one.

"Yugi!"

No one his age, anyway.

"Yugi! If you don't hurry up, we're going to be late!"

"I'm coming, Grandpa!" Yugi stuck the letter in a nearby drawer, grabbed his cloak and hurried out of his room. The day's events were something that he did not want to miss.

His grandfather had all of his needed parchment, quills and ink packed up and ready to go. "Here, Yugi, carry this for me," he said, handing Yugi several rolls of parchment.

"Are you really going to need this much?" Yugi asked.

"It's always better to have too much than too little," he replied. "Right, then, off we go!"

The two hurried out into the street and a few twists and turns later were heading down the crowded main boulevard of the city. Looking around, Yugi could see that nearly everyone was heading in the same direction as he and his grandfather, and with good reason. Today and the next three days held one of the most celebrated events of the year.

Today, the dragon eggs would start to hatch.

Excitement surged through Yugi's chest, banishing any thoughts of loneliness. He had always loved dragons and all that was associated with them. He had read every book about them that he could get his hands on and as soon as spring came would count down the days until the hatching. When he and his friends had dreamed of what they would be when they grew up, with no inhibitions holding back his imagination, Yugi had dreamed of being a dragon rider.

Unfortunately, as Yugi had learned in what he had read about dragons and becoming a dragon rider, he realized his doing so was rather impossible. As they approached the citadel where all the dragons and dragon riders of the city lived, Yugi looked up to see an enormous relief carved into the side of the cliff. A great dragon was reared back on its haunches, mouth open and teeth bared in a silent roar. A bearded rider, garbed in ancient armor, wielded a sword against an unseen foe. That was Gorou Ryujo, one of the very first humans to bond with and ride a dragon. All successive dragon riders had been, and still were, somehow related to the Ryujo line. Only they had ever bonded with dragons, and Yugi was not one of them. His ancestors had been on the other end of the continent when the first dragon riders lived, anyways, so for him dragon riding was only a dream.

When he had first found out, Yugi had been angry; he wanted to know why others were allowed to bond with dragons just because they happened to be born to the right person. As it turned out, no one really knew why. The bond between a human and a dragon was supposedly predestined, something that could not be altered. A dragon egg would only hatch if the human it was destined for was near. If it did not make that vital mental connection with its human in its first few minutes of life, then… it would die.

Yugi looked up at the citadel as they approached its gates. The citadel was built along the side of a natural cliff and it was a monumental stone structure that nearly made one tumble over backwards if one tried to look up at it. It had to be big to house such large creatures. It was at the highest point of the city; if Yugi turned around he looked down on all the houses and winding streets that spread around for several miles. Along the cliff Yugi could see gaping holes of the eyrie where the full-grown dragons and their riders resided. Every so often one would see a dragon with a human perched on top fly in or out of the high landings. In front of the fortress a massive green pasture spread out until it met the opposite cliff, and there were herds of livestock that were provided for the dragons to hunt.

Yugi sighed. Even if he couldn't be a dragon rider, at least becoming a scribe, like his grandfather, would ensure that he would always be able to attend the hatchings. A scribe was always needed to record the event.

They entered through the massive gates and into the even more massive courtyard. There were a few other scribes attending the event; it was thought that having more than one scribe record the same event would ensure greater accuracy.

"Ah, Yoshiro! Good to see you!" Yugi's grandfather began greeting the other scribes, most of them good friends of his. Yugi just tuned out the conversation as he noticed a dragon and rider preparing to take off from one of the lower landings. It was a silver dragon. They were not very large, but rather were known for their speed. Most racing dragons were silver, but some were also fighters. As the dragon spread its wings, Yugi could see black splotches along its left wing, indication of an injury. It must have seen battle at one point. Then, the rider mounted and the dragon suddenly dropped from the landing. It plummeted toward the ground for a moment, then spread its wings and soared over the citadel towards the pasture. Yugi was so enthralled by the sight that he only caught the end of Yoshiro's sentence.

"…dragon they haven't seen in hundreds of years!" Yugi turned around so fast he almost dropped the scrolls of parchment.

"They say that it's a dark egg with splotches of gold on it!"

"Gold splotches? What kind of dragon has an egg with gold on it?"

"No one knows! The egg's supposedly been in the incubation vault for so long that nobody knows where it came from. It surprised the hell out of them when it finally showed signs of readiness. The Ryujochi Council thinks it might be one of a kind now, a dragon that hasn't been seen since the War of the Wolves, or even farther back!"

Yugi gaped openly. This day was just getting better and better. Not only was it a dragon hatching, but he got to see a dragon that hadn't been around for nearly a thousand years? He couldn't wait to tell Jounouchi about this. Yugi vaguely wondered who would be the lucky one to be bonded to such a dragon, but just then the crowd was ushered towards the hatching grounds for the opening ceremony.

Yugi followed his grandfather through courtyard and into a large cylindrical building that was nestled against the side of the cliff. Stained glass windows showed many images of Gorou Ryujo and other famed dragon riders with their dragons. Through the doors Yugi could see the circle of sand in the center of the room where the ready dragon eggs were waiting. Heat rose from underneath the sandy surface, warming the entire room and, most importantly, the eggs. Beyond the sandy grounds sat several members of the Ryujochi Council, and even farther beyond was a thick metal door protected by a dozen or more guards. That was the incubation vault, where all of the eggs that were not yet ready were kept.

The first thing that Yugi heard as he entered the room was the low rumble of the heartbeats of each dragon. That was one of the signs of readiness; the dragon's heartbeat would become quite audible, and the noise nearly made the ground beneath him shake. There were almost two hundred eggs sitting there, after all.

As Yugi sat down next to his grandfather with the other scribes, he looked over the eggs. One could usually tell by the shell what kind of dragon it would be. That one with the rust-colored splotches would be a spotted dragon, and the one with the black and red swirls would be some variety of plated dragon. The greenish one was probably a horned broadstripe, and the one with the bronze shine to it was most likely a broadback. There was a whole cluster of bluish-gray eggs that would eventually become fire chargers.

Then, Yugi saw the egg Yoshiro had been talking about. It was all black, but in the morning sunlight Yugi could see that it had a bright golden luster. Yugi had never seen an egg like it; he could only imagine what the dragon would look like. Eventually the crowd was hushed, some of the officials stood and talked and the first of those eligible to bond were brought in. Yugi carefully snuck some of the extra parchment and a quill for himself and began sketching out the first of the baby dragons as they stumbled onto the sand.

The reactions of the youth that were brought in were always interesting to watch. Some would start laughing and jumping around with their dragon in their arms; others would start crying hysterically. Some just sat and stared at the little creature in their lap. One poor boy made connection and then promptly fainted, his new dragon nosing at his limp human in confusion.

By the end of the day Yugi had filled a whole page with sketches of the dragons that had hatched. As the hatching for that day concluded, Yugi looked wistfully over at the strange black egg. He had rather been hoping that it would hatch that day, but there were three more days of hatching to go.

A/N: Intrigue? Maybe? Review, please.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, so it's been almost two years since I've been on here, and now has a fancy new feature that shows you what country the hits on your stories are coming from, and I just want to know… Who is it from United Arab Emirates that's been dropping in? Just curious… I hope you enjoy.

Roar of Thunder

Chapter 2

Yugi stared out his window toward the eastern horizon, praying that the sun would rise so that he could get up and go back to the hatching grounds. He had tried for hours to sleep, knowing that if he could the night would go by faster, but he eventually abandoned any hope of sleep and settled for watching the horizon for the first sign of light.

The first three days of the hatching had progressed in much the same way as every other hatching that Yugi had been to. Not that he didn't enjoy it, of course; it was his favorite event of the year. But, that wonderfully mysterious black egg remained still. It was almost poetic that it would hatch on the last day. Of course, eggs had been known to occasionally show false signs and were brought out to hatch when they were, in fact, not ready at all.

Yugi shook his head. It had to hatch today; it just had to! Suddenly, Yugi bolted upright and strained his eyes. There was a faint light on the horizon. Yugi jumped out of bed and minutes later was fully dressed and knocking on his grandfather's door.

"Yugi… we went through this yesterday. The hatching doesn't start this early."

"But Grandpa!"

Sugoroku heaved a deep sigh. "Okay, okay…"

* * *

The rumbling heartbeats had noticeably lessened as Yugi and his grandfather entered the hatching chamber for the third time. Some eggs still remained, but Yugi's eyes were drawn to that mysterious black egg. It seemed that everyone else had their eyes on it, too; there were more people crowded into the chamber than there had been on any other day. Yugi rapped his quill impatiently against the side of his seat as a councilman made the traditional speech, and then the remaining eligibles were brought in.

Few by few, the colorful eggs shook and cracked and small, awkward creatures stumbled out and clambered over to their stunned and overjoyed partners. Yugi didn't bother sketching; he couldn't concentrate, his eyes flicking over to the pulsating yet unmoving gold-splotched egg.

Eggs continued hatching, dragons emerged and the empty shells were cleared away… until there was only one egg left. There was still a small group of eligibles shuffling their feet nervously at the edge of the warm sand. After several moments of silence Yugi glanced around; he could see several of the council members whispering to each other. Was it possible that the egg had shown false signs?

Yugi, along with several other observers, jumped as there was a sudden crack. The egg shook back and forth for a few moments, a thin split visible on the rough, dark surface. There was another crack and part of the shell fell open. Its former occupant tumbled out onto the sandy surface, shook itself and raised its head. It had a long narrow skull, like a silver dragon, but with a larger frame. In the morning light the dragon's new, tender scales shone black with long, thin trails of dark gold coursing from its head down its neck and back. Its tail was unusually long and whipping about as the dragon shakily stood. Yugi stared in awe; any type of golden dragon was thought to be extinct, if not entirely mythical. It was several moments before Yugi noticed that none of the eligibles had come forward to make connection. He felt his grandfather shift next to him; nervous energy grew in the room until it was nearly palpable. Something was wrong…

The energy suddenly snapped as the dragon let out a wail. The council members were shouting at the guards to send messengers out as quickly as possible to summon any other possible eligibles. The group of confused eligibles was ushered away from the sand to make way, but as the chamber doors opened more guards pushed in to see what was wrong. Councilmen and guards rushed forward, trying to shout down those outside that were trying to come in. The frenzied activity froze for a single moment as the dragon gave another cry of despair. Yugi leapt to his feet in response, feeling as though he should do something, and was promptly pushed back into his seat as people swirled around him in a panic. He vaguely heard his grandfather telling him that they should leave before they get trampled. Yugi tried to follow, but he didn't want to leave; he turned to look back at the crying dragon sitting in the sand, and suddenly he was knocked from his feet.

Yugi froze in surprise as he found that his landing was rather soft, then realized that he had fallen on the sand of the hatching ground. He looked up to see who had knocked him over, but instead looked up into red crystal eyes. There was no longer any shouting, any footsteps or even any people; there was just him and the dragon.

Yugi lay where he had fallen, staring openly and unsure of what to do, until he felt a slow warmth, as if something had nestled against his chest. The warmth grew, spreading over and under his skin until it became a presence within and without him, and then the warmth was him with no separation. He could feel it resting comfortably in the corners of his mind, gently supporting and strangely familiar.

_Hello, Yugi_. He jumped as the voice spoke, and he nearly looked around to see who was talking, but he knew where the voice had come from.

"Y-you know my name?" Yugi replied haltingly, his voice merely a whisper, but the dragon understood.

_Yes_, the voice said, _I have been waiting for you. I am Yami_.

Finally having the presence of mind to move, Yugi clumsily sat up. The little golden-black creature staggered over to him and settled in Yugi's lap. He yawned, then rested his head against Yugi's chest and began purring softly as Yugi stroked his new, soft skin. Yugi smiled down at the sleepy dragon, amazed, overjoyed and overwhelmed. However, he was brought out of his rapturous daze as he was roughly grabbed by the shoulder and pulled halfway to his feet.

"No one is to be near the dragon until its partner has been found!" a guard ordered sternly, then he yelped in pain as Yami sank his teeth into his hand. With the guard no longer holding him, Yugi stumbled backwards and once again landed in the sand, Yami still in his arms and growling fiercely. The guard stared at the dragon, his bleeding hand nearly forgotten in shock. The chamber suddenly became very quiet as everyone noticed that the dragon was in a human's arms.

Yugi instinctively pulled the dragon closer to him, and he had to suppress a nervous grin as Yami nuzzled his neck and settled against his chest again.

"What have you done?" a young councilman cried, finally breaking the silence. Yugi searched the crowd of faces until he found his grandfather, who was also staring in amazement. "His name is Yami," Yugi said, his voice seeming much too loud in the echoing chamber. "And he says he's hungry."

A/N: Yes, Yami is the dragon, and no, this will most likely not turn into yaoi later on by virtue of having Yami turn human at some point. I don't think I'll have Yugi romantically involved with anyone else, though; I'd like to get it across that deep, intimate relationships can exist without having a sexual component. Lofty goals for a fanfic? Perhaps, but I work with what I have. Review, please!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed. ^^ Feedback has been positive overall, I think, so I'm happy to continue.

Roar of Thunder

Chapter 3

Ishizu glanced around the council chamber as the other members settled into their seats. Some were sweating and seemed quite tense; most wore a grim, serious face. One might have thought that they were on the brink of war, if not worse, but knowing how dedicated some of these men and women were to the Ryujo blood principle, the recent events had been quite the shock.

As the Chancellor entered everyone rose, but he quickly waved at them to sit back down, seeming rather irritated. As he took his chair below a tapestry of several dragons soaring through the sky with their riders, his assistant councilman stood and addressed the gathered members.

"As most of you know, this meeting was called for a very specific purpose, one which I know many of us find most urgent. This morning was the last day of the hatching, and as I'm sure you've heard, a dragon egg that is believed to be at least 800 years old, if not much older, had been discovered deep in the vault showing signs of readiness. It was brought out with the others and today the dragon hatched and made connection.

"There has been little time to study the hatchling, but it appears to be a variety of golden dragon." At this statement a wave of murmurs moved through the seated council. "Many of our records concerning golden dragons have been lost," the councilman went on, "and so we have little ability to classify the dragon beyond that. We may only see through its development if it bears any more similarity to any other varieties. However, the more pressing matter is not the dragon, but who the dragon has made connection with."

The councilman shuffled through some of his sheets of parchment. "The partner is Yugi Mutou, seventeen years old and training to become a scribe. His family history on both sides can be traced back to the time of Gorou Ryujo, and he has absolutely no relation." Murmurs circulated again, much more intensely this time. Ishizu held back a sigh; something as rare and wonderful as a live golden dragon was being overlooked because the human partner hadn't been born to the right people.

"The fact remains, however, that the boy has made connection. The problem that we face today is that a golden dragon, thought to be extinct, has been bonded to a young boy that has not been trained properly to handle the responsibilities of caring for a dragon or to become a rider. He is younger than the usual minimum age for eligibles and apparently sustained an injury to his leg in his childhood that still affects him today and may affect his ability to ride." The councilman shuffled a few more scrolls about.

"I declare the floor open for comment," the Chancellor announced. A round, balding man stood, was acknowledged and said, "It has been well shown that this boy is quite incapable of caring for any dragon, especially one as important as this. It may do us well to consider a minimal separation so that the dragon's development is…"

The councilman never got to finish his sentence, as over a dozen other council members protested in outrage. "How dare you suggest such a thing!" a small woman with reddish hair cried with volume greatly disproportionate to her size. "You are a rider, Gojiro, you know better than to even think of separating a rider and his dragon, especially at a time as crucial as this early stage! The dragon would surely die and the boy would go insane if he didn't die, as well!"

"Order, please, Asuka," the Chancellor said, and Asuka reluctantly sat down. Gojiro sunk back down into his seat, looking rather unhappy. "I agree," said the Chancellor, "that it would be very unwise, not to mention very cruel, to separate the boy and the dragon. The fact remains that the two have made connection and it is a situation that we must accommodate, rather than attempt to change."

There were several nods of assent amongst a bit of grumbling. "Then it seems to me that the answer is clear," said Asuka. "The boy can be trained as any other dragon rider." This evoked several cries of dissent, which the Chancellor waved down.

"The problem I see with that," a thin, hook-nosed man with a shock of white hair said, "is that the boy has not had the early training that the others have had. I believe the councilman said he was training to become a scribe. He would surely know very little about the care of his dragon or about the duties that come with being a rider. I doubt he knows how to fight with a sword." Many nodded as he spoke.

"My proposal," the man went on, "is that he be trained privately in the most immediately pressing areas, which are that of taking care of his young dragon and establishing a healthy mental connection. When we have seen his progress in those areas, we shall be able to better determine how he will cope with the responsibilities of a rider."

No one protested, and so the Chancellor said, "I believe this is a wise course of action. Does anyone offer a counter argument?" He was met with silence, and continued, "In accordance with this proposal, the boy will need a private tutor that has extensive knowledge of early development. Does anyone wish to volunteer?" Again there was silence.

"I will take the boy as my student," Ishizu finally spoke up, heads turning to where she sat. "I am not a rider, but my instruction and experience in healing dragons has given me what I believe to be more than adequate knowledge of the hatchling stage."

The Chancellor nodded. "Very well. I will require periodic reports on his progress, and we shall reconvene at a later time to determine the boy's new status. I declare this meeting adjourned."

As she stood, Ishizu glanced over at a seat to the right of the Chancellor. Seto did not seem particularly happy, but it was always difficult to read him. She had been almost sure that he would protest the current plan, with what she knew about him… But Ishizu quickly turned her mind to how she would begin Yugi's lessons.

* * *

Yugi glanced again at the large, thick double doors leading into the council chamber. He doubted that they had been in there very long, but it felt like days since he and his grandfather had sat down in the entrance hall. In fact, it felt like years since he had gotten up that morning; so much had changed that it seemed impossible that it could all be squeezed into one day. He was idly stroking Yami's stomach as the dragon dozed in Yugi's lap. He had read that dragons needed plenty of rest and nourishment in their first couple of weeks in order to be healthy and develop properly, and so he had hardly moved at all since he had sat down for fear of jostling Yami.

Yugi looked around again and caught his grandfather's eye. The old man gave him a reassuring smile, and Yugi smiled back despite his nervousness. He had hoped to get a few moments alone with Sugoroku, to say what he wasn't sure, but in the entrance hall there were two guards outside the council chamber and Yugi didn't feel comfortable with them listening. Yugi glanced at the doors again, trying to imagine what was unfolding inside.

He couldn't say that he knew what the council would decide; as far as he knew, nothing like this had ever happened before. His bloodline had been well researched and was about as far removed from the Ryujo line as it could be, but what had happened today couldn't have been a mistake, could it?

That was Yugi's greatest fear, that the council members would emerge and declare that the entire thing had been a mistake and Yami would be taken away from him and he would never see him again…

Yami stirred as Yugi unintentionally clutched at him tighter. _Why would they want to separate us_, Yami asked inside Yugi's head. Yugi jumped slightly, having thought that Yami was asleep and not used to having someone else know what he was thinking about.

_Because I'm not from the Ryujo bloodline_, he replied, and found that focusing his thoughts on a single reply was more difficult than it seemed.

_You're not what?_

_I'm not related to Gorou Ryujo, the first dragon rider. Only his descendants can bond with dragons._

Yami opened his brilliant red eyes and blinked up at Yugi. _Well, I fail to see how ancestry is relevant. And obviously if only his descendants could bond, then we would not be having this conversation._

That was true… But that didn't quite quell Yugi's worries that the council members would somehow think it was a mistake.

Yami gave a very audible snort that made Sugoroku jump. _This bond is most certainly not a mistake_, he said with an indignant tone. _And if any of them think so, they do not have the authority or the power to try to change it._

As if that had entirely settled the matter, Yami shifted position in Yugi's lap and closed his eyes again. At least he wasn't worried… Yugi just hoped that the council was of the same opinion. Yugi nearly dropped Yami out of his lap as the doors finally opened and council members poured out. As they passed Yugi and his grandfather most of them ignored him, some of them smiled and a few glared outright, leaving Yugi rather confused and unsure of what had happened.

He quickly stood, causing Yami to wake again, as a tall, dark-haired woman walked up to them. "Hello, Yugi, Sugoroku. My name is Ishizu. I am the primary healer here at the Nagisa Eyrie. Please come with me." She led them down another corridor stemming out of the entrance hall, past several doors until they reached one that had her name inscribed next to it. Yugi assumed that this was her office. It was not terribly large inside, but it was tidy and welcoming, the walls lined with bookshelves, comfortable chairs set out for guests and a window stretching from the floor to the ceiling that overlooked the dragon's hunting fields.

"The Ryujochi Council has reviewed today's event," Ishizu said as she gestured for them to sit down, "and has decided that you should be privately trained in the care of your dragon, since you have not had the same education and experience as the others that bonded in the past few days. After they have seen your progress they will decide if it is permissible for you to become an official rider."

Yugi couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face. "I could become a rider…?" Ishizu smiled back. "It is possible, yes, if the council finds that you have made adequate progress." Yugi's smile faded a bit; with some of the looks the council members had given him, he could hardly believe they were even considering that option…

"Does the council know why this happened?" Sugoroku asked. "I had always been told that only Ryujo descendants could bond, and I know for a fact that our family history doesn't even remotely point to Gorou Ryujo."

Ishizu sighed. "No, they don't know how this happened, probably because they're not entirely sure why only certain people could bond in the first place. Frankly, I think that matter pales in comparison to the hatching of a dragon that was thought to be extinct."

Yugi nearly sighed in relief; Ishizu didn't care that he didn't have the right blood. _I told you not to worry_, Yami's voice spoke up in his head.

"Speaking of which, we should start out with an inspection. Bring him here, please." Ishizu cleared off her desk and Yugi carefully set Yami down on the surface. Almost unconsciously he left a hand on Yami's back, reluctant to part contact with him.

"He looks about the size of a horned hatchling…" Ishizu murmured to herself as she began taking measurements. "But with a much longer tail…"

"And we won't know if he has horns until the third week," Yugi said, feeling like he ought to add something. Ishizu looked up momentarily. "Very good," she said. "How much do you know about dragons?"

"A better question would be what he doesn't know, it would be much shorter," Sugoroku spoke up, causing Yugi to blush. "He's read every book on dragons that he could find and he has drawings of them all over his room. I used to get notes from his primary school instructors complaining that all he ever talked about was dragons."

"Grandpa…" Yugi turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Really…" Ishizu was interested. "So, what can you tell me about your dragon, Yugi?" Yugi swallowed.

"Well… er… his name is Yami, and I'm not entirely sure what kind of dragon he is. His size is about right for a horned variety, or maybe a rather large silver, but his tail is longer and seems much more flexible and controlled than any other type. The pattern of his coloring is similar to a plated dragon, except for the gold, which is supposed to be extinct."

Ishizu nodded. "And what do you know about caring for a hatchling?"

Yugi answered immediately. "His hard scales won't appear until about the same time his horns emerge, if he has any, so the soft skin has to rubbed with oil to keep it from getting dry and irritated. Hatchlings should get 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night in their first couple of weeks and shouldn't start eating raw meat until after the first month when the wings start to strengthen." Yugi stopped as he coaxed Yami into letting Ishizu look in his mouth.

Ishizu nodded again. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to teach you, Yugi. You seem to have a good grasp of what needs to be done, and at the moment Yami seems to be perfectly healthy." She sat back in her chair, looking at Yami with an admiring gaze. "He's quite the handsome dragon, too." Yami tossed his head at the comment, pleased, then went to the edge of the desk where Yugi took him back into his arms.

"I would still like to meet for lessons, though. You will have to stay at your home, however; they're not yet sure if you're going to be a rider, so you're not allowed to live at the eyrie yet." Yugi nodded, rather relieved at not having to suddenly move into an unfamiliar place with unknown and possibly hostile people.

Ishizu glanced at the door, then leaned forward and looked at Yugi. "I would advise you to be prepared for some unpleasantness from other council members. Many of them are angry about what happened today, and a few them are quite tactless. Don't let your mind dwell on their behavior." Yugi nodded again and Ishizu smiled.

"In that case, you've had quite the day already, so we'll begin our lessons tomorrow."

A/N: Aha, I managed to work Seto in there. I actually spent about fifteen minutes last night trying to find the name of that silvery-blue haired gal that was sorta-kinda Priest Seto's love interest in the ancient Egypt arc. Not that it has anything to do with this particular story. *coughhack* Review please?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: And… here's another one. I probably should admit that the reason these are going up so fast is that I already had outlines written for about the first ten chapters. I just had to actually write them. Anyway, thank you to everyone that reviewed. I know there are people out there that are reading and not reviewing. I have a little hit counter that tells me so. It also tells me what country you're from. Creepy? Not at all.

Roar of Thunder

Chapter 4

_I still don't see why this blood relation business is such a big deal_, Yami remarked as Yugi carried him down the road from the citadel. They had just finished up another lesson with Ishizu in preparation for when Yami's scales would begin showing. _They have proof that it is an irrelevant detail, and yet they keep going on about it._

_Well, it's been such a large part of the dragon rider culture for so long. People can't just forget things like that so quickly_, Yugi replied. Yami snorted.

_Ishizu doesn't seem to be having any problem adjusting._

_True, but she's not a rider, and she was raised in Muketsu in the east. There are fewer people there related to Ryujo and they don't have an eyrie in the city, so I don't think the notion was emphasized as much._

Yugi waited for Yami to reply, but the dragon was silent. Yugi felt Yami's mind flicker with confusion.

_Is something wrong?_

_Is Muketsu near a mountain range?_ Yami asked, not seeming to have heard Yugi.

_Yes, I think so… Why?_

_It seems… familiar…_

Yugi nearly stopped walking as the connection between them seemed to slip slightly, and then it suddenly came back as Yami's stomach growled. Yugi laughed, dismissing the strange moment as his imagination.

_I hope Grandpa made your food right this time_, Yugi said. _I told him that he needed to get the water hot enough before he—_

Yugi didn't have time to finish his thought as mind-shattering pain stole all other awareness from him for several moments, and when he regained his bearings he was on the ground. His head pounded mercilessly and he felt something wet on his temple. Looking up he saw a blurred shape above him that moved about for a few moments and then turned and moved away. He stared after the retreating shape until he realized that there was no longer a small, warm body in his arms. He heard a roar and an angry cry and something inside of him caught fire.

Yugi stumbled to his feet and grabbed the nearest weapon, a sizeable rock, and ran after the retreating figure. The assailant had stopped around the next corner and appeared to be wrestling with something. In the fading light Yugi saw a hand wrapped around a slender, black neck and he became vaguely aware that something had begun to scream. The rock flew from his hand, and moments after Yugi realized that it was him that was screaming. The man cried out and buckled as the rock slammed into the back of his knee. His grip weakened and Yami retaliated with his teeth, causing another yelp of pain. Yugi ran forward, intent only on getting Yami safely away from their attacker. He tripped as the man tried to grab his leg, but he got a kick in the face in return as Yugi wrenched Yami away from the bloody mess on the side of the man's head. Something fell onto the stone walk as Yugi backed away and with a sickening strike of realization Yugi saw that it was an ear.

Three figures suddenly charged around the corner, nearly knocking Yugi over. Two were wearing the uniforms of the eyrie guards and the other was an old woman. "That's him!" the woman shouted. "He attacked that boy and stole something from him!" The guards strode forward and heaved the man, one hand covering the bloody wound on the side of his head, up off the ground.

"Filth! Foul deceiver! You have stolen that sacred dragon from a true Ryujo!" the man shouted. "Your undeserving blood taints a fortress of tradition!" The guards shouted at the man to be quiet and eventually managed to pull him away, still screaming insults. Yugi stayed huddled against a stone wall, panting, Yami in his arms and growling angrily but unhurt.

"Yugi! Are you all right?" Yugi looked up to see Ishizu, slightly out of breath, as she knelt down beside him. "What happened?"

"He tried to take Yami…" Yugi said in a quavering voice, hugging Yami tighter. He felt Yami's tail wrap around his arm.

"You're hurt…" Ishizu said, reaching out to touch his forehead. She helped him to stand and Yugi realized that he was shaking slightly. "Let's get you and Yami home," Ishizu said and she walked with him down the street through the fading light. Yugi stayed silent, still rather shocked, while Yami was positively incensed.

_What kind of authority does he think he has, trying to steal a dragon! Tainted blood, ha! I'm sure he's done enough on his own to foul the air in that place. Pity that I only took off his ear, I should have gone for his neck…_

"Yami!" Yugi was so shocked he spoke aloud and Ishizu looked at him in alarm. _Don't say things like that_, Yugi went on in thought as he attempted a smile to tell Ishizu that he was okay._ I'm angry, too, but we shouldn't want to kill him!_

_Why not? He hurt you and he tried to separate us._

_Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to kill him._

Yami was prevented from answering as they reached Yugi's home and his grandfather rushed out the door as soon as he saw his grandson's bloody forehead. "Yugi, what happened? Oh, you're bleeding, quick, come in and sit down!"

Yugi was rushed into the modest kitchen and set down in a chair. "Here, hold this over it to stop the bleeding. Ishizu, how did this happen?" As Ishizu explained what had happened, Yami clambered onto Yugi's shoulder, his tail still wound tightly around Yugi's arm.

_He still hurt you_, Yami said. _I can't forgive that._

_But I'm all right, aren't I? You're safe, too, and that's what's important, right?_

Yami tilted his head in thought, his anger subsiding. _Yes_, he said, _I suppose that is true._

"Who could've done this?" Sugoroku asked as he put a bandage over Yugi's cut. Ishizu sighed.

"He's a council member. This last hatching is the third time that his son was among the eligibles but was not chosen. He has a very strong ancestral link to Gorou Ryujo, as well. I had always thought he was rather unstable, but this is inexcusable." She looked at Yugi. "Are you feeling all right?"

Yugi nodded and attempted a smile. Ishizu did not fail to notice the death grip that Yami's tail had on Yugi's arm.

* * *

Several hours later, Yugi was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling, idly stroking Yami's head while the dragon purred contentedly. Sensations of the day were floating through Yugi's mind: seeing the man running away from him, feeling the trickle of blood down his forehead, his own scream of rage ringing in his ears… the horrible emptiness of realizing that Yami was no longer in his arms…

Yugi jumped as Yami suddenly rolled over and sat up to look into Yugi's eyes.

_You are anxious_, Yami said. _What worries you_?

Yugi sighed in frustration and turned away from Yami's gaze_. I knew that most of the people at the eyrie didn't like me, but… I didn't think anyone would do something like this. _Yugi closed his eyes_. I can't believe that I might be moving in with a bunch of people that hate me for no good reason. _

_Most of them may hate you now, but that is because they do not know you. Those that are able to see will find that you are worthy of your fate; those that do not are too blind to be worthy of you._

_But what if I can't… _Yugi didn't finish, but instead opened his eyes to stare at a corner of the room_. I couldn't… I couldn't protect you today. He almost got away… If you hadn't bit him, he…_

…_would've been knocked down by that stone you threw_, Yami finished for him. Yugi looked up at his dragon and Yami tilted his narrow head. _You have it within yourself to protect me just as I will always endeavor to protect you._

_But…_ Yugi felt tears creep into his eyes. _I'm not… I'm not strong enough…_

Yami shook his head. _Nonsense. You are perfectly capable. You have just not had the opportunity to prove it to yourself._

Yugi was about to protest but Yami cut him off. _You and I would not have made connection if you were not capable. I am as close to your heart as anyone will ever be, and I see strength in you. If you cannot trust in yourself, then trust in me._

Finally feeling somewhat reassured, Yugi cuddled Yami close to him and closed his eyes.

* * *

Ishizu sighed tiredly as she closed the door to her office. The cold shoulder was one thing, but the anger over a non-Ryujo bonding was getting out of hand. She could only hope that this sort of stress would not adversely affect the development of their mental connection.

The healer was so deep in thought that she almost didn't notice the letter sitting on her desk. She frowned; mail was usually delivered in the morning, unless the information was exceptionally urgent. As she stepped closer, she saw the familiar seal of the Harukani Eyrie on the envelope, and she snatched it up and ripped it open.

Ishizu's eyes tore through the words and then, not believing what the letter said, read through it again. Her hand flew to her mouth; she slowly put the letter down and walked over to the window, looking towards the south. She had warned him about the dangers, but he had only laughed and told her not to worry. The South Continent was not settled yet, she said, and it was still so dangerous… But if he didn't help settle it, who would, he replied… And now…

"Oh, Malik…"

A/N: Eh? *prods* I told you I'd be working everyone in there. Review, please.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I have an outline written for almost the entire story here, so that means it's likely that I'll finish it. The bad news is that the updates might slow down for a few weeks; I have a major thing going on in April that is going to require attention. But, I'm betting this will get finished over the summer. Thank you to everyone that reviewed, and let's proceed.

Roar of Thunder

Chapter 5

The mist that had come down off the mountains was just beginning to dissipate in the thin morning light as he followed the sparse herd of goats up the path to the grazing pasture. Below him the tiny houses of the village were still quiet, many of its residents not yet awake. It was still early enough in the spring for the mornings to be cold, and he clutched the corners of his tattered cloak close to him with his free hand. His other hand held his breakfast, his usual ration of day-old bread and a lump of goat cheese that he had managed to steal out of the cellar. Hopefully the master of the house would not find it missing.

Ryou's goal in life had never been to become a hired goat herder for a village farmer, but then life had never seemed to accommodate itself to any of Ryou's goals. The villagers often whispered short laments for poor Ryou, orphaned so young and barely able to survive on his meager pay and small rations. But, who could afford to give up anything extra, they would say. That was the way that life worked, unfortunately.

In the early morning, though, when it was only him and the oblivious goats in the pasture, Ryou didn't let life stop him from dreaming. He could look off into the west and dream of great halls he had never seen, of magnificent cities that he had never been to, of wonderful meals that he had never eaten. It would make the rest of the day just a bit more bearable.

Ryou was jarred out of this rosy apparition as several of the goats nearly stampeded away from a corner of the pasture. Ryou frowned; that corner usually got just the right amount of rain and sunlight, and the goats were usually picking fights with each other over its tender shoots of grass. Carefully setting the unfinished half of his breakfast aside, Ryou stood and walked over to the suddenly empty area. He couldn't see the problem; there were no snakes, the grass looked just as it always had, there were a few rocks sitting idly by…

_CRACK_ Ryou nearly fell over backwards as one of the rocks rolled over on its own and began to crumble. He stared for several moments then realized that it wasn't a crumbling rock, it was a hatching egg. Ryou crept closer as the egg shuddered and shook. It was much too big to be any sort of bird or snake egg, and he didn't know of any other animal around here that laid eggs… except maybe…

_SNAP_ The shell split down the center and a small reptilian body fell onto the grass and lay still. Ryou only stared; it couldn't be, and yet it was… A dragon had hatched right in front of him. It was black with a stark white stripe down its back and white markings around its face. But it wasn't moving… was it dead?

The dragon's body convulsed abruptly as it jerked its head back and sneezed explosively. Its eyes opened and Ryou saw that they were dark, rusty red, like little unpolished gems, and then he was aware of a warm, almost melting sensation somewhere in his chest. The dragon shakily stood and stumbled over to Ryou, who sank to his knees and invited the little creature into his lap. Ryou realized that he felt cold, and yet the sensation was not coming from his body; it seemed so unlikely, but it occurred to him that he was feeling the cold of the dragon's body, and quickly wrapped the dragon in the threadbare fabric of his cloak. Then, despite having just eaten, he felt a gnawing hunger.

Ryou carefully stood, cradling the little dragon in his arms, and chased away the goats that were nosing at his leftover breakfast. He sat on a nearby rock and held the last of his bread up to the dragon's mouth. The dragon sniffed at the bread, then snorted rather contemptuously.

"I'm sorry," Ryou said softly. "It's all I have." The dragon glanced at him as though he understood, then swallowed the bread in one gulp. He then yawned, showing off an array of tiny yet sharp teeth, curled up in Ryou's lap and promptly went to sleep. Ryou gently stroked the dragon's back, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

"What am I going to call you…" he said, thinking aloud. His family name was Bakura, a name that he did not use often because everyone else in his family was dead and he was the only Ryou in the village.

"Bakura…" he said softly, and the dragon sighed in his sleep. "That's what I'll call you… Bakura."

* * *

"Oh, he's so cute!" Anzu exclaimed as she promptly dropped the bags she had been carrying onto the floor in favor of scratching under Yami's chin. The dragon purred happily and began to sway slightly on Yugi's shoulder, then snorted in surprise as Anzu abandoned the activity and hugged Yugi tightly. As soon as Anzu pulled away Yami crawled down into Yugi's arms.

"It's so wonderful to see you, Yugi! It's been much too long."

Yugi smiled. "It's good to see you, too."

"Hello there!"

Anzu and Yugi turned to see Jou and Hiroto enter, looking quite a bit older than Yugi remembered in their new, forest-green Defense Guard uniforms. As they slung their arms around his shoulders and ruffled Yugi's hair, Yugi noticed that Anzu also looked different. She had cut her hair shorter and was wearing the blue-gold robes traditionally worn by beginning healers. Yugi wondered if he looked any different to them.

"So this is Yami?" Jou and Hiroto leaned down to look into Yami's red eyes. Yami extended his neck to inspect the new arrivals, snorted slightly, then appeared to lose interest. Yugi chuckled.

"He says you smell like horses, but otherwise you're okay."

Hiroto blinked. "So… he talks to you?"

Yugi nodded and smiled. "Yep. All the time, actually."

"Dinner, everyone!" Sugoroku's voice called from the kitchen. "The dumplings are ready!"

Hiroto didn't hesitate and made for the kitchen; Anzu followed with the bags she had brought, saying that she had presents for everyone. Jou and Yugi stayed back for a moment; the blond stroked Yami's head and smiled at Yugi.

"That's what you always used to talk about, wasn't it," he said softly. "Becoming a dragon rider."

Yugi nodded. "Yeah…"

"I heard that… someone tried to steal him from you."

Yugi looked down, some of the feelings from that day rushing back. Of all the things Jou had heard, why did it have to be that?

"I also heard that the bastard couldn't walk by the time you were done with him."

Yugi chuckled, trying to hide his blush. Jou leaned down to meet Yugi's shy eyes.

"You're going to be a great rider, Yugi. I know it."

Yugi just smiled.

"Come on," Jou said. "Before Hiroto eats all the dumplings."

* * *

Another gasp of delight rippled through the crowd as more fireworks exploded in the night sky. It was the evening of the Summer Festival, which was really more of a marker for where spring was ending and summer was beginning. Impromptu stands selling food and toys had been set up on every corner, and a few people were already well past tipsy as they sang off-key songs while traipsing up and down the boulevard.

Despite having eaten the largest share of Sugoroku's dumplings, Jou and Hiroto were raiding the nearest food stands. Apparently the food provided for Defense Guard trainees was not particularly satisfactory. Anzu joked that she should have gotten them a potion that made their stomachs feel full rather than the energy potions that she had gotten them. For Sugoroku she had bought a lotion that would help the stiffness in his hands, and for Yugi she had gotten some oil that purportedly nourished and strengthened a dragon's scales as they grew.

"Jou, if you eat any more the buttons on that uniform of yours are going to pop off," Anzu said flatly. Hiroto snickered and she turned on him. "That goes for you, too."

Jou didn't appear fazed and suddenly his face brightened with an idea. "Hey, why don't we visit that restaurant that Miho's uncle owns, the one we used to hang out at all the time?"

Anzu rolled her eyes. "All you think about is food," she said, but admitted that it would be nice to visit again. She and Miho had been friends in school and she hadn't seen her all year. They all followed Jou as he sauntered down the boulevard. Several girls walking around with cups of sweet ice and fire sparklers in hand giggled and waved at him and Hiroto. Yugi heard them whisper something about their uniforms as they passed.

The little restaurant was just big enough to be accommodating and small enough to be cozy, and had strings of pink, blue and yellow lanterns lighting up the ceiling. A young man greeted them and took them to a table in the corner. They were waiting for their food while Hiroto was weaving rather half-baked tales about their training escapades, when Yami growled loudly. Yugi looked up to see a couple tables full of people in the silver and black of Nagisa riders. Most of them were staring, if not glaring, at him. He felt Yami grow tense.

_Their energy is aggressive_, he said. _They want a fight_.

_Let's not give it to them_, Yugi replied, and he returned his attention to his friends' conversation. A few minutes later a robust, dark-haired man that Yugi vaguely recognized as Miho's uncle approached the table.

"I… I'm sorry, sir, but I'll have to ask you to leave."

The others looked up in shock. "Why?" Jou asked.

"Um… I don't allow dragons in the restaurant."

Yugi and his friends looked over at the other riders' tables; many of them were new riders and had young dragons sitting in their laps or perched on their shoulders. Yami snorted in disgust and Yugi looked back at the man quizzically.

"I…" he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I'm sorry, I just don't want any trouble here."

"Well, it looks like you're going to get some," Jou growled as he stood up.

"Jou, don't…" Yugi pleaded. "Look, I'll just go. It's okay, I don't mind." As soon as he said it his friends knew that it wasn't true, but they followed him out of the restaurant.

Several hours later the fireworks had stopped. Most of the stands had closed for the night and all the spectators had gone home. Jou and Yugi sat on the roof of Yugi's house, Yami dozing in Yugi's lap. Anzu and Hiroto had gone to visit their parents and Sugoroku was already asleep.

The two were silent as they sat next to each other, staring up at the star-sprinkled sky while Yugi stroked Yami's head, a habit that had formed quickly. Of their little group of friends, Yugi and Jou had always been the closest. Jou had always tried to include Yugi in the games that he and Hiroto played and Yugi had helped Jou with his school work. Jou had defended Yugi from bullies at school and Yugi insisted that Jou stay with him when he ran away from home once. They were both strong, but in different ways, which made a rather fitting combination.

Finally, Jou turned to Yugi and said, "Is this the way it's been the whole time?"

Yugi knew that he was referring to the incident in the restaurant, and nodded. "For the most part, yes. There are a few people, like Ishizu, that don't really care, but everyone else at the eyrie either glares at me or just ignores me. A couple weeks ago I needed more rubbing oil for Yami's skin, so I asked a woman where the supply room was and she spat at me."

Yami stirred. _I still think you should have let me bite her nose off_.

Jou sighed. "Well, at least you don't have to live with them."

"Well, not yet." Jou turned to look at him. "If the Council decides that I've made enough progress, I'll go into full training as a rider. If I do that I'll have to move to the eyrie," Yugi explained.

Jou couldn't find a response to that. Yugi chuckled suddenly and Jou frowned. "Is something funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Yami's just being silly." The dragon looked up at Yugi with his bright eyes and Yugi chuckled again.

Jou had known for a long time that Yugi had a strength that was not immediately apparent and that could not be defined physically. The strength was not evident in any individual act, but instead it was strength of endurance that showed itself over time in Yugi's ability to withstand great pain without ever giving up. Even when they were children and Jou had to help Yugi to climb a tree because he could barely do it on his own, Jou had sensed that underneath that soft smile there was a frame of invisible, unbreakable iron.

"Well, you know what I think," Jou said. Yugi looked at him.

"I think you're going to march in there and show them all how it's done."

_See? I told you._

A/N: Okay, so for those of you playing the home game, Anzu=Tea, Jou=Joey (I should actually be calling him Katsuya, that's his real first name, but Jou is easier to type), Hiroto=Tristan, and I really hope no one is confused about who Ryou is.

I know you're there, so scroll down and click on the review button. Not the back button, the review button. That's right. Thank you.


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